Work with it, not against it.

The sun is shining, the sky is a refreshing blue with just
the right amount of cloud cover, and palm
trees, ocean waves and exotic flowers decorate the background. 
The bride is straight out of a fashion magazine and her groom is a George Clooney look-a-like.  It all seems perfect
and you are already editing this project in your head.  

The reality of shooting weddings is sometimes less appealing than this.  Maybe it’s poor
weather, a grumpy Bride or Groom, less than favorable lighting…or a drab location.  

How many churches and venues have you
shot in repeatedly?  It’s hard to stay fresh but
you have to.  You have to find a
way to tap into the creativity.  

You ever wonder how many times the Rolling Stones have sang “Brown Sugar”?  Regardless of how they still feel about it, each time they sing it they have to pull from their inner depths and
perform it like it’s the first time all over again.

This is how we approach
each shoot and even if it’s in an all too familiar place, we are paid to give
our client a performance and to exceed their expectations.

We had a client last year that was in another State and we
communicated with them exclusively over the phone and by e-mail.  The couple had an ample
supply of southern charm, so we could not wait to film this wedding at the quaint little
southern church.  Well, we assumed
it was a “quaint” little church. 
It just had to be.  

Even though we plugged the address in our GPS, we must have gone by the location a few times before we
reluctantly pulled into the parking lot and saw the cross on the building.  Still in denial, we looked around for that cute little southern
church, you know the church from
Sweet Home Alabama?  But the church
we were staring at was formerly a used car dealership.  Our vision came to a screeching
halt. 

Screen grab of the church

Recently, we attended a Still Motion workshop called “The Art of Cinema”.  Patrick Moreau talked about shifting out of a paradigm, such as walking into a crowded elevator that is full of people and facing the passengers throughout the ride.  The point being to be open to experiment and to work with a situation or the environment, not against it.  

We came to grips with our situation, had a short
team meeting, and dismissed all of our preconceived ideas for this shoot.

In the conversations we had had with the couple in the weeks before, we took time to understand their story.  Patrick and Tiffany first saw each other while attending this church, so even though the physical qualities of the church were lacking, the building held deeper meaning to the couple.  

Knowing that the couple grew up in this
small town, I headed to the town square to shoot b-roll and to look for anything that would move the story forward. 
 There was the post office, the school,
the courthouse, the square and lots of texture. 

The next time you are shooting at a location that does not
initially inspire you, step in the shoes of your client step outside of your
box and find meaning.  Remember to look for meaning in things that the couple/their family might find important and let that inspire you and move you to another level of creativity. 

Enjoy the result below:

Patrick and Tiffany – Southern Charm from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo

John and Jennifer Moon

Northernlight Filmworks

John and Jennifer Moon